One-year outcomes of sialendoscopic-assisted salivary duct surgery for sialadenitis without sialolithiasis

Objectives: To prospectively examine durability of long-term outcomes in sialendoscopy-assisted salivary duct surgery (SASDS) in chronic obstructive sialadenitis without sialolithiasis (COSWS).

Methods: A prospective cohort study of adult patients with COSWS who completed Chronic Obstructive Sialadenitis Symptoms (COSS) Questionnaire prior to and at 3 months and 1 year following SASDS. COSS scores scaled to 0 to 100 were analyzed by statistically significant improvements and previously published ranges corresponding to complete, partial, and nonresolution of symptoms.

Results: Twenty-nine patients with COSWS affecting 41 glands had statistically significant improvements in COSS scores at 3 months following SASDS. These improvements usually were sustained at 1 year, supporting durability of treatment effect over time. A majority of cases (30 of 41, 73%) achieved at least a partial resolution of sialadenitis symptoms (COSS score ≤ 25) at 1-year follow-up. Symptom improvement after SASDS was noted in 14 of 18 (78%) glands with radioiodine-induced sialadenitis (RAI-IS). The highest proportion of persistent or recurrent disease at 1-year post-SASDS was found in autoimmune sialadenitis (2 of 4, 50%) and glands with proximal or multifocal stenoses (6 of 12, 50%). At 1 year, distal duct stenoses achieved a significantly higher proportion of partial or complete symptom resolution (18 of 21, 86%) than cases with proximal or multifocal stenoses (6 of 12, 50%; P = 0.044).

Conclusions: SASDS is effective in reducing symptoms in duct stenosis and RAI-IS, usually with durable treatment benefits at long-term follow-up. Distal stenoses appear to be more amenable to sialendoscopic treatment, achieving greater symptom reduction than proximal/multifocal stenoses. Additional larger multi-center studies are needed to further characterize risk factors for COSWS refractory to SASDS.

Level of evidence: 2 Laryngoscope, 129:890-896, 2019.